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Our day started early for a breakfast visit at
Jak’s Cafe and Espresso where Julie Krucek makes everything in
her beautiful cafe from scratch. The family recipes are all
gluten free.

She served up many rounds of egg Benedict and delicious artisan
creme puffs and really rolled out the hospitality red carpet by
singing Happy Birthday to a local Poulsbo resident. Patrons
trickled in all day from 10AM-5Pm and enjoyed their visit to the
very well known cafe.

Cash Mobbers from Kitsap County couldn’t have asked for better
weather for National Cash Mob Day. “My sales were up 40%
that day- Thanks so much! When can we do it again?” stated Julie
Krucek founder of
Jak’s cafe.

Birthday Bavarian Creme
Pastries from Jak's Cafe

The next awesome location was
CJ’s Evergreen General Store and Catering where Cynthia
Jeffries-Cyr also rolled out the penny candy, Dinner to Go
meals from her famous catering department, hot aromatic espresso,
ice cream and pies.

Bremerton
Cash Mobs were instrumental in inviting local residents,
creating the certificates of appreciation and showcasing what
locally made products were available for purchase. “We bought
some of the Sequim Valley Marion Berry Jelly. I’m in heaven!”
stated Robin Henderson founder of Bremerton Cash Mobs.

Cash Mobbers and local business owners celebrated the sunny day
and the events success at another locally
owned establishment by having a nice meal at Rachel’s
in Bremerton. Everyone relaxed, socialized and networked with other
local business owners and residents that they might not have
normally met. It was a very humbling, gratifying and
emotional experience for many who attended. Cash Mobbing might be
addicting!

Celebration Dinner At Rachels
in Bremerton

“I would like to thank all
of you that came by the store for the 1st Bremerton Cash Mob
yesterday. I really appreciate all the people that came out. We
feel that it was a success. We were so glad to see so many new
people and returning customers. We hope to see all of you again. If
there is anything that you would like to see us carry, just let us
know and we will see what we can do about that. Again, thank you so
much. It really was an honor to be one of the first Cash Mob sites.
” Cynthia Jeffries-Cyr

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy, and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

If you’re like me you might have had a beautiful holiday but are
now feeling a little cranky about all of the work involved to help
you meet all of your New Year resolutions. I think because of
the many changes in our society right now- it might be important to
go back to the basics of living:

Don’t answer your emails before coffee. This is very important.
Why? Because before coffee you might be tempted to fire off a bad
email response to the stupid person on the other end. That is not
beneficial to your well being, job, or relationships. Just trust me
on this one.

Looking for a job? Make looking for a job your new job and you
will find a job. Pretty simple, huh? This is mainly directed to the
16-25 crowds of “well I interviewed but they never called me back”
syndrome. You send a ‘Thank You’ note and YOU call back. Pretty
‘epic’, huh? Make sure you use the word ‘epic’ in every sentence,
too! It is epic impressive.

If you’re a baby-boomer start putting money in your mattress
for retirement. Banks can’t be trusted. Apparently, baby boomers
have been great spenders. Many have depended on their houses as
retirement funds but now with properties not worth as much there is
no equity to be had for awhile. To get Social Security full payout
you will have to work till age 70. Don’t believe me?
Read the news.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101227/ap_on_bi_ge/us_retirement_crisis
and (for the record) I love mature workers in places like
McDonalds. The service is so much better and I am never missing any
fries. Seriously.

Which reminds me…

Believe everything you read on the internet, especially if you
are having a debate about something. You most likely can win,
because you probably can find anything to support a theory or
debate in your favor, (because as you know) the internet is
always correct. Don’t worry about quoting reputable sources as
they probably won’t have the facts you need to win your point! Just
quote the internet by saying “Well, I read it on the internet” case
closed. You won and of course winning is the most important
thing. Insert sarcasm <here>.

Don’t say “I am going on a diet”. It’s just a set up for
failure. According to the Journal of Preventive Medicine “you need
150 minutes of moderate exercise to stay healthy”. So walk
your dog, if you do not have a dog, walk your kid, if you do not
have either, borrow one or the other (go for the dog). It’s a
win-win situation.

Most millionaires are frugal. Get as much free stuff as you
can. Yeah, it’s cool to ‘recycle’ and ‘go green’ blah, blah, and
blah but the truth is sometimes hard to publicly admit; free stuff
is good. If you get on free cycle and craigslist before you
purchase any items and use coupons for food it can be like a great
video game. Think of the person who takes your money as the enemy.
Zap them with your coupons. It leaves more money for more important
things – like building a bomb shelter.

Date night is good. Don’t let finances get in the way. If there
isn’t any room in the budget for date night (because your savings
are under your mattress for retirement, remember?) you can always
hit up the local free community meals. Check your local churches.
It gives you a chance to get away, be appreciative of what you
have, and meet new people in your neighborhood. It can be a breath
of fresh air and produce unique opportunities to give back.

Grow something (nothing illegal, of course). Particularly,
replace one food item that you normally buy to something you can
grow. If you have very little ground space you can grow
vegetables in hanging planters. Lettuce is a good choice among
many. Seeds are relatively inexpensive at the Dollar Store.
If you absolutely cannot grow something then buy something
from your local farmers market. At least you’ll be supporting the
local economy. Help your family become more self sufficient and
help the environment.

I hope this unique list has helped de-crankify you to enjoy your
family, enjoy nature, and make it an epic year. Humor and sarcasm
always help!

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

Some people get so depressed about not being able to give gifts
during the holiday season that they might not attend a holiday
family function or if they do attend they are feeling so down that
they do not act like themselves.

It is very unfortunate and some people really need to be
verbally ‘let off the hook’ so they can get through the season and
the big day. If you know people in this situation give them the
biggest gift of all by letting them “off the hook” for holiday
present exchange.

From my experience- it really is one the greatest gifts
you can give to friends and loved ones. Just recently my mother did
it for me!

We had planned a trip back home to the East Coast months ago
-and then an unexpected move and other family obligations happened
so it just did not make a holiday trip feasible. I did not
want to tell my mother, in fact I dreaded telling her…but she
instinctively knew and she called and told me she understood.
It was the biggest relief of guilt ever this year and I appreciated
her knowing we wanted to come but yet it was too much of a hardship
to actually do it this year.

Eleven great things you can say in these difficult types
of Holiday situations:

Lisa Homemade Apple
Pie

We are focusing the day on the great food, our warm house, and
the pleasure of your company.

We are focusing our own gift giving for the little children so
no gift is needed for adults and the children have plenty of gifts
to open.

You have done so many things for us this past year that we just
want to celebrate in appreciation of you and everything we have
done together/been through together over the last 12 months.

If the person insists on giving, you can make a great
suggestion of homemade gifts.

I really love that ____ (food item) you make, if you would like
to make that, it would save me so much time and be the perfect gift
– plus it would relieve me of so much stress on Christmas Day!

I really love old family/friend pictures if you have some to
share, I would love one or two as a gift for my scrapbook!

I really loved when you babysat or walked my dog (or other
service the person has provided in the past) so a written gift
certificate (on notebook paper) would be just the
perfect gift and really give me something to look forward
too!

If you have any books or magazines about _______ I would love
to have them as a gift.

Please donate your time to a local charity in my name such as
the food bank or humane society. It would make me very happy!

If you have any holiday DVD movies, we would love to have some
of them so we could have a family movie holiday! I will even make
the special holiday popcorn!

Many times people you know will express worries about
bills and items they need for their own families for the
holidays. There are many ways you can offer assistance and
resources:

Let them know you are giving them a gift certificate for a local
grocery store or department store. This lets them know that they
may have a cushion and allow them to buy for their immediate
family.

You can also suggest craft items that you have made in the past
for special occasions and let them know where to get supplies that
are reasonably priced. You may also let them borrow a sewing
machine or glue gun, beads, wood scraps and donate ideas that
you find on the Internet (lots of DIY sites) or at the local
library. This should help spark ideas and creativity!

If things are looking really difficult for family or friends try
to get them on a church angel list or point them to a website
called ‘2 Hands’. It is a website about one hand helping another
and is located at http://www.2hands.org/. You may even
offer use of your computer to help them get registered.

The best thing you can say is “I have faith in you” and “I
love/care for you” and “We are looking forward to celebrating the
holiday with you.” “Be here at ___ time” or “I will have _______
name of person pick you up -so be ready for the day!”

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

Last Monday I started a new job which was also the day of our
Kitsap SNOWAPALOOZA. I drive my husband and daughter to there bus
stops ( as we live in the woods now and both bus stops are too far
to walk) lucky me!

At 6:10 it was cold and clear and very dark.

At 7:10 my daughter sais” It is snowing” I say “no it is not”
with mom attitude to ward of the ” Can I stay home?” questions from
my sweet 14 year old (Emily).

9 something AM. I hear the cat door opening and closing and my
dog Bo keeps running up to me back and forth snorting and prancing
around, I am like what is your problem? He is getting in and
out the cat door. Not realizing the baby gate is off the back steps
for some unknown reason and he could of taken off running down the
street (which he usually does) but amazingly he didn’t!

I guess he was trying to tell me IT IS SNOWING MOMMY!?
Being a Husky/Sheppard mix this of course would cause him to run to
around like a crazy maniac- kinda like his tail is on fire or
something (as he as only seen snow in 2008) so it has been
awhile!

As he is running around the house like a maniac, ( I still do
not realize the baby gate is down) and then…quick break from
emailing people ( I am trying to feel professional) I get up to get
a cup of coffee, and I look out the kitchen window and there
is Bella ( white Sheppard/Husky) loose in the snow in the backyard
and it IS SNOWING!

Big, big SNOW! Like it used to snow when I lived in
upstate N.Y. I am thinking I should be tougher than
this, but this storm had all the makings for a real disaster. Ice,
Wind and freezing temperatures in a area that does not have the
same kind of snow response that eastern climates have. Then on top
of that you have the inexperienced snow drivers..more on that later
🙂 But you can all buy a snow brush
here, K? colors may vary.

I mean really…this is one of the main reasons why I moved from
upstate N.Y. I like the rain, mmm the snow?? NOT so much!

Then Bella (white dog..blends in with the snow) spots me looking
at her and she hauls tail around the house and down the street. I
get my keys, run to the car and drive down the street, the minute
she sees me she hops in the car, like “OH, sorry.. I was just
kiddin Mom”. By this time I am soaked and cold.

Fast forward… of course I then have to sit for the high
school bus (which is an hour late) thankfully they drove slow for
safety. My daughter is giddy. We are not gonna have school
tomorrow! Ya think? A ten minute drive at this point takes me 20
minutes.

The the real fun begins. I went to wait for the worker bus..sat
there for almost five hours in the snow. I had the pleasure of
seeing electric poles explode and trees fall around me and the
white outs from hell. Nevermind that my husband is stuck on a bus
on an off-ramp K? People were nice that passed me and almost
everyone stopped to make sure I was O.K. Finally, about 9:15 pm a
neighbors car rolls up with my husband. A tree was covering
Clear Creek road and the bus couldn’t pass it so they drove under
it!

Mind you, we have had no power for most of the day, so my
Internet and phone are down. Nice way to start a new job.

With all of the drama I have forgotten to eat.

Luckily, I had a pound of hamburger thawed in the refrigerator.
We are cold and hungry at this point, so my husband started the
wood stove and made it roar so
we could cook dinner on it.We bickered about what we were gonna
have for our creative meal. I wanted something we could all eat and
he wanted to cook separate things. I won of course and while eating
it I am thinking that this is the best meal I have ever had! Guess
I was desperate, but it was really good.

Lisa’s No Power Wood Stove Hamburger Recipe

1 pound of Hamburger

Half a bag of Egg Noodles

2 Cans of Mushroom Soup

1 can of Mixed Vegetables

Half a pkg. Cream Cheese

Directions:

Fry hamburger on skillet. Heat up Mushroom Soup in large sauce
pan. When the soup is hotter than hot get your pot holders out. Add
noodles ( the hot soup will soften them) Add fried Hamburger
meat. Use candle to make sure hamburger meat is done with no red
parts…then add cream cheese, mixed veggies and season to taste.

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

I cannot believe how fast the holidays are approaching. Time and
money seem to be in short supply this year so I have done a few
things to help alleviate the stress of planning for gifts and
functions. This year I am attending many local Holiday Bazaars for
reasonable and thoughtful gifts. This past weekend I attended the
Eagles Club Bazzar in Poulsbo and scored a “made in the jar” cookie
gift and some really nice Jewelry.

Keep it in Kitsap and buy
local!

I am wondering what are the best items or products are that you
have bought locally or from a artist?

This weekend I will be visiting the House of Awakened Culture
that will help me get arts, & crafts, raffles & 50/50, and
food galore!

It is from Saturday- Sunday November 20-21st 10am – 4pm in
Suquamish.
Suquamish is a unique community with little shops, restaurants and
the most gorgeous view of Seattle and the surrounding area that you
ever did see. It will be a treat for your shopping and scenery
senses and a great way to spend the day!

Yours truly will be there both days selling AND buying! If you
see me, come say hello. I may even interview you for this blog. It
might not make you totally (ok maybe a little) famous AND
you can brag the link to all your relatives and friends!

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

If you would like to be showcased in the Kitsap Sun Designs
of the Times Blog please email me here. I would
love to hear from you.

If you need clothes, shoes or something nice for the homestead-
you might want to check out the Suquamish Rummage Sale at the
Suquamish UCC. There is
something for everyone ( I saw all the stuff today) and holy cow!
There is furniture, clothes, housewares, books and whatever. This
is a great opportunity to purchase for that hard to buy for person
a unique gift and more importantly help up cycle and recycle good
things in our communities.

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

I got a rock tumbler that I desperately needed for my projects.
I suggest if you use this coupon, you use it for a larger craft or
art ticket item. My rock tumbler was $24.99 so I got that for
$16.50 something. This means I can turn ordinary objects into
collectible shiny goodies for my creations! Then.. because I had
lost my mind with happiness over the rock tumbler, I went back and
purchased the craft pasta machine, that was $24.99 and got that for
half price as well! Can you believe it??

I can’t! I really needed these two pieces of equipment
for my designs sooooooo- watch out for the pretties coming out
really soon! I refuse to apologize for loving coupons and free
stuff.

Homegirl ain’t playin!

Let me know what you get and how much is saved by commenting
below..

PS) I don’t work for Michael’s or any employer. I don’t
like to have to be somewhere at a certain time in the morning and
(no one will hire me) so in other words I have no affiliation with
Michael’s other than being a sarcastic customer once in awhile. It
is just a really great money savings deal and I wanted to share it!
🙂 Thanks Michael’s!

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.

Don’t let the economy, lack of idea’s, or know -how stop you
from enjoying what spring and summer can do for the outside of your
home or apartment. People are always giving away plants and other
garden goodies on sites like Craigslist and Free cycle. So if there is a will
there is a way to create a plant and flower oasis for you, your
family, and the people who may visit you. It will make you feel
good to be in beautiful surroundings at your own home and shed all
of that rainy dark winter.

I don’t know about you but I have the plant passion fever right
now and I have found ways to do it economically that will allow for
good herbs, vegetables and flowers. I like to mix herb plants
with a couple of flowers, rocks and usually a shiny piece of art or
glass. I do not think plants, veggies, herbs and outdoor design in
general should cost a lot of money and right now most people are
being money conscious about extra expenses. This doesn’t mean we
can’t enjoy outdoor design delights in color and function.

Dollar Store Seeds

I get my seeds from the dollar
store at 4/ $1.00 and I don’t think you can’t beat
that price with a garden stick right? I am also a
fanatic “as seen on TV” person and found the min water globes. I
don’t think mine works right but for a buck it is so…VERY pretty!
See it in blue in the above picture…

Things you can add to your garden to delight you are plant
signs, rocks, beads, and marbles to make for interesting effects to
the design and plants.

As far as plants, I like and seriously need low
maintenance. I purchased pansies ( I got mine from the nice people
at Valley Nursery in Poulsbo) which are very hearty
and bloom well into summer. They can also survive a little bit of
the cold nights like we are still having. I also love hens and
chick succulents (which is the pointy plant on the left in the
picture below). These grow anywhere and multiply very quickly. They
love containers and often love to multiply in them. They are
available in seeds or plants but if you know someone who has them
in their garden you can ask for a baby hen and you will be filling
containers and gardens with tons of them in no time. These also
transplant from location to location well, as I have transplanted
them to three different Kitsap towns but I must warn you…

Chicks and Hen
Succulents, Oregano, and Pansies

If you live in Bremerton you may want to get permission from the
chicken politic people to have these hen and chick plants!
Hahahaha sorry (don’t be a hater) but I couldn’t help myself on
that big chicken!

I also am homing chocolate mint, oregano and chives. Even though
I am a renter I will be growing (from seed) squash, lettuce and
sunflowers. The lettuce will be in hanging containers on my back
deck and my Sunflower seeds are going straight into the ground on
the sunny side of the house. I will worry about thinning them out
later (the less work the better right now) right?

Special Lisa Sunflower
outside Garden Art Picture in progress

Anyhow, when you are planting make sure you sing …

”Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars.. Let me see
what spring is like… On Jupiter and Mars “ or just
listen to the video below to get in the planting design mood. Enjoy
Designing!

I hope you create something meaningful that will help you enjoy
every single day of your life.

Design is everywhere. It can be in the food we eat, the art
we buy or the Jewelry we wear. The Designs of the Times Blog is
about the people, places and things that help us a enjoy the
abundance of creativity all around us. Join us as we showcase the
rich designs of our surroundings that make up this great area we
call home- Kitsap County! We hope to bring inspiration, joy and
creativity to all who read our Blog.